Okey Sampson, Aba
Family of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has accused the police in Abia of laying siege to their Isiama Afaraukwu home with the intent of arresting their father, Eze Isaac Okwu Kanu.
But the Commissioner of police in Abia State, Ene Okon said there was no iota of truth in the allegation.
There have been reports of police presence within the vicinity of the IPOB leader’s home since his father who had been away for the past one year, came back. The senior Kanu, who is the traditional ruler of Isiama Afaraukwu was declared missing when soldiers invaded his palace on September 18, 2017, in a bid to arrest IPOB leader.
However, family source said the traditional ruler returned to his palace last Sunday.
Speaking in a telephone chat, the younger brother of Kanu, Prince Emmanuel Kanu said since his father returned, police have laid siege to their home. “There is no need for such police presence around our home, my father is old, he has come home to rest and not to cause breach of the police.” Kanu advised police and other security agencies to send their personnel to the North East where they are needed to fight Boko Haram and not to dissipate their energy at Afaraukwu.
However, in a swift reaction, Abia South Commissioner of police, Okon said the allegation by the family was untrue.
Okon said over the years, police have maintained presence in some strategic areas of Afaraukwu being home to senior security personnel in the state and top government officials.
While explaining that Nnamdi kanu’s father had not committed any office presently that would warrant his arrest, Okon said what police did was to increase its presence in places where its personnel always mann when they got intelligence report that IPOB was trying to protest in the area to commemorate anniversary of Python Dance invasion of their leader’s home.
“This is mere propaganda, police never went to Nnamdi Kanu’s home, neither are we after his father. What we merely did was to increase presence in the areas we normally in over the years to forestall the break down of law and order, the CP said.